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Ontario’s Worst Roads Campaign

What makes a worst road? Roadways that suffer from potholes, crumbling pavement and congestion, roads with pedestrian and cyclist safety issues, and roads that have confusing signs and bad traffic light coordination.

Want to Report a Pot Hole?

Reporting potholes is important because they can be a major road hazard.

For potholes located on local or regional roads, you will need to contact the municipality responsible for that road. For potholes located on provincial highways, you will need to contact the Ministry District Office for the Province of Ontario.

How to contact a municipality

Most municipalities in Ontario have 311 programs in order to contact municipal service. You can dial 311 to report a pothole if the service is offered in your municipality. If 311 is not available, contact the main switchboard at the municipal offices and you will then be routed to the appropriate department.

How to contact the Province of Ontario

Potholes and other highway maintenance issues can be reported by contacting the Ministry of Transportation District Office in your region of the province. Please call 1-800-268-4MTO (4686) to be connected with the regional office in your area.

Driving Tips to Avoid Potholes

Here a few tips to help keep your money in your pocket and your car damage free during pothole season.

Be extra cautious on wet rainy days, as there may be potholes hiding under those puddles.

Stay off the edges and center of the road, which are key spots for potholes to develop.

Don't swerve to avoid a pothole. Swerving can result in the front wheel of your vehicle hitting the pothole at an angle, causing more damage than if it is hit head-on.

Avoid sudden braking when you are approaching a pothole. Braking transfers the car’s weight to the front tires, thereby increasing the possibility of damage. Go Slow!

If your tire does lose air after an unfortunate pothole encounter, when it is safe to do so pull over to the side of the road in order to minimize the chance of wheel damage. Always keep a properly maintained spare tire in your vehicle, and have your CAA Membership card handy in case you require roadside assistance.

Essential Accessibility

CAA North East Ontario

CAA North & East Ontario serves Members in Ontario in the cities of North Bay, Ottawa, Sudbury and Thunder Bay; the Districts of Cochrane, Manitoulin, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Rainy River, Timiskaming, and Kenora (including area of Patricia); and the Counties of Dundas, and Glengarry, including the portion of Leeds-Grenville formerly known as Grenville County, Lanark, Prescott, Renfrew, Russell, and Stormont.